13 Windows Key Tips

For most people, the Windows key (you know, the one with the flag on it?) just sits neglected on your keyboard. It was fairly well known when Vista was released that the then-new (and not yet reviled) OS included a new way to shuffle through open application windows. Using the Windows key while successively pressing the tab key displayed the Aero Flip 3-D view of your windows flying by in mid-screen. Well, that still works in Windows 7, though it's probably just as convenient to stick with the less glitzy Alt-tab to switch through windows, or just choose the one you want from the now-bigger Taskbar.

But the Windows key does a lot more than this fancy scrolling. Windows 7 added a new way to hide all windows at once to reveal the desktop that involves moving the mouse pointer all the way down to the lower-right-hand corner of your screen. While that new Aero Peek is cool, sometimes you want a quicker way to view the desktop. For example, pressing Windows key + D reveals your desktop far quicker than moving the pointer to the corner. If you just want a peek, it's even easier—hit Windows key + Spacebar.

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